Dom Perignon 1996

• Legendary as one of the best Dom Perignons ever
• Beginning to reach drinking maturity with great potential for the future

We loved it when we tasted it in August and decided to put one of our last cases on the alfavin site. Dom Perignon 1996 certainly still has a great future ahead of it, but it is already at a really good drinking stage. The intense aromas of lemon, peach, vanilla, coffee beans, and chocolate immediately create feelings of happiness. This champagne simply has it all: power, body, and elegance. The racy acidity is perfectly integrated into the silky palate. The finish is incredibly long.

The normal version, i.e. the P1, although this is not mentioned on the label, was disgorged in 2004. Oenotheque in 2008. The P2 was disgorged in 2015. The P3 is not yet available. Antonio Galloni writes on Vinous that bottles from the first disgorgement that have been stored well over the long term are better than the Oenotheque, P2, or P3 disgorgements. This is because the very long yeast storage of the later editions creates very impressive aromas, but these aromas only last for a few years. However, the champagne itself has developed fewer aromas during yeast aging than the first bottling, which has been maturing in the cellar for almost 20 years. This is the greater experience if you miss the short period after the dégorgement of P2 and P3.

The 1996 vintage in Champagne is the result of a very changeable summer. It is famous for its extremely high sugar and acidity levels. The period before the harvest was characterized by heat and strong winds. These two factors led to high ripeness and small grapes with concentrated must. The level of acidity is difficult to explain.